Soderberg: Update

I wasn't a fan of Contagion, but even this is a step down. At least a more obvious step down. While Contagion was attempting to have some serious credibility Soderberg's latest, Haywire, cannot be described as more than a Bourne-Taken-Knight-and-Day mix.

Trained assassin. check. Revenge. check. American blockbuster with 'trailer guy' voice over to prove it. check.



After the (justified) success of Traffic (critically and award-ly), I automatically assume Soderberg to be one the best directors working at the moment. Indeed, Out of Sight and Erin Brockovich help things too. But this new revenge film has giving me the most disappointing enlightenment, moment. He's not...that...good.

I know(!). I'm scared to say it too. But while he's done Traffic (and this is not to take away from that film, which remains phenomenal) and a couple of other less good, but still amazing films (maybe Solaris and the Informant as well...maybe), he's also done Ocean's Twelve, Ocean's Thirteen, Contagion and now this! Surely Ocean's Twelve is one of the worst films of the decade, while the others are flimsy at best.

He's up-coming ones have to be on top form then, if he is going to remain the credible director we all know and love. Unfortunately, that isn't looking too lightly.

Soderberg has too films in development - both with Channing Tatum (Step up, G.I. Joe, the Eagle) attached. So not a great start.

He has a reason to be hiring Tatum for one, though, since it is based on Tatum's own experience as a stripper. Magic Mike follows new male stripper Mike into his new career, as he is taken under the wings of other male strippers in the business for a bit longer. So yeh. Soderberg appears to want to reminis about Channing Tatum as a stripper. Intersting choice.

Next up is the new adaptation of 1960s t.v. show The Man from U.N.C.L.E. This follows that of a male duo (originally Robert Vaughn and David McCallum) fluttering abroad to fight international crime. After George Clooney and Bradley Cooper have dropped out from playing the part of Vaughn's Napoleon Solo, Tatum is now connected to this too.

The script for Haywire is done by  Lemm-the Score-Dobbs, and by the sounds of these plots, and the direction Soderberg's taken with his recent films, the script for these two will fair little better. And that's just by passing by why after Haywire, Soderberg wants to work with Tatum (as ok as he may be) on another two films. No disrespect to Tatum, but he's no Matt Damon.

Are we witnessing the fall of Soderberg? Maybe I'm exaggerating. Check out the trailer to his new film and post your comments below...

Haywire Trailer